Three hikers found dead on southern California's Mount Baldy

"A man and two of his companions are dead after high winds prevented rescue crews from responding to a report of an injured hiker near a southern California mountain trail, the San Bernardino county sheriff's department announced on Monday. The three bodies were discovered Monday evening along the Devil's Backbone trail at Mount Baldy, which rises more than 10,000ft and sits just east of Los Angeles, according to a statement from the San Bernardino county sheriff's department."

"The department said it received a call at about 11.30am on Monday from someone reporting that their 19-year-old friend had tumbled 500ft (150 meters) down a remote mountainside. The caller had hiked to an area with cellular service and provided GPS coordinates to rescuers. A helicopter crew spotted the injured hiker and two other people but strong winds prevented the aircraft from landing."

The San Bernardino County sheriff's department reported three dead along the Devil's Backbone trail at Mount Baldy after high winds prevented aerial rescue. A caller said a 19-year-old friend tumbled about 500ft down a remote mountainside and provided GPS coordinates after hiking to cell service. A helicopter crew spotted the injured hiker and two other people, but strong winds stopped landing and a later attempt also failed. A medic was hoisted down hours later and found all three deceased at about 7:30pm. Identities were not released and causes of death were not immediately known; the deaths occurred near where actor Julian Sands died three years earlier, and other rescues on Mount Baldy were reported the same day and in prior months.

Read at www.theguardian.com